Distributor for internal combustion engines



Aug. 30, 1966 R. A. STEVENS 3,270,150

DISTRIBUTOR FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES Filed March 25, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet l Mae s R. A. STEVENS DISTRIBUTOR FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES Filed March 25, 1964 Aug. 30, 1966 B Sheets-Sheet 2 R m N E V m Agberf/Z JfeI/e/Is United States Patent 3,270,150 DISTRIBUTOR FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES Robert A. Stevens, 1217 W. Thomas St., South Bend, Ind. Filed Mar. 25, 1964, Ser. No. 366,931 1 (Ilairn. (Cl. 200-24) This invention relates to an engine such as an internal combustion engine, and more particularly to an improved distributor for the ignition system, of such an engine.

The object of the invention is to provide a distributor for an ignition system of an internal combustion engine wherein the dwell angle will be multiplied, and wherein there will be provided an uninterrupted charge directly to the spark plug.

Another object of the invention is to provide a distributor which is constructed so that instead of using the distributor rotor to distribute the high voltage charge to the spark plugs, the rotor is used as an impulse to direct the charge directly from the coil to the spark plugs.

A further object of the invention is to provide a distributor which is extremely simple and inexpensive to manufacture.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent during the course of the following description.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this application, and in which like numerals are used to designate like parts throughout the same:

FIGURE 1 is an elevational view of the distributor, of the present invention, and with parts broken away and in section.

FIGURE 2 is a sectional view taken on the line 22 of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 3 is an elevational view, with parts broken away and in section, and showing the parts separated or disassembled.

FIGURE 4 is a view illustrating the distributor of the present invention and illustrating schematically certain portions of the ignition system.

FIGURE 5 is a sectional view taken on the line 5-5 of FIGURE 3.

FIGURE 6 is a fragmentary elevational view, with parts broken away and in section illustrating a modification.

Referring in detail to the drawings, the numeral 10 indicates a distributor which includes a housing 11 that has a cap 12 thereon, and the numeral 13 indicates a portion of a cylinder head of an internal combustion engine.

Arranged in the housing 11 is a rotor 14 which is made of conductive material, and the rotor 14 includes a de pending sleeve portion 15 which is provided with a key 16 for engaging a slot or groove 17 in the shaft 22, FIG- URE 3. The rotor 14 is provided with a recess or cutout 18 therein, and this recess 18 is adapted to be filled with a suitable non-conducting material such as a suitable plastic as indicated by the numeral 19.

Arranged in the housing 11 is the usual base or plate 20, and a brush 21 is adapted to engage the sleeve portion 15 of the rotor 14, and the brush 21 may be connected to the base or plate through the medium of a clamp 23.

As illustrated schematically in FIGURE 4, the numerals 1, 2, 3, and 4 indicate spark plugs for a four cylinder engine, and although a four cylinder engine has been illustrated, it is to be understood that the principles of the present invention are applicable to engines having more or less cylinders so that the present invention is not limited to a four cylinder engine. Also, in FIGURE 4 the numerals 1, 2, 3 and 4' indicate terminals or brushes in the cap 12, and the numerals 1", 2", 3" and 4" indicate the coils.

The numeral 24 indicates a source of electrical energy such as a vehicle battery which is electrically connected by ice means of a conductor 25 to a primary lead 26 of a coil such as the coil 1", and this coil 1" is grounded as at 30. The other primary lead 27 of the coil 1" is electrically connected by means of a conductor 31 to the terminal 1. The secondary lead 28 of the coil 1" is connected by means of a conductor 29 to the spark plug 1. A conductor 32 having a condenser 33 therein serves to connect the brush 21 to the conductor 31, FIGURE 1.

The system or present invention thus is a commutator type circuit breaker.

From the foregoing, it is apparent that there has been provided an improved distributor, and according to the present invention instead of using the distributor rotor to distribute the high voltage charge to the spark plugs, it is used as an impulse to direct the charge directly from the coil such as the coil 1 in FIGURE 1, to the spark plug such as the spark plug 1. The rotor 14 constructed according to the present invention is made of a highly conductive metal and contacts all of the distributor caps and terminals 1', 2','3' and 4 simultaneously, with the exception of one gap or recess 18 which is filled in with a suitable non-conductive material such as nylon or plastic as indicated by the numeral 19 and this presents or provide a smooth and uninterrupted surface. However, the recess 18 provides enough or sufiicient clearance to interrupt the connection to one terminal as ordinary points do in a distributor as now being used.

Thus, the present invention will multiply the dwell angle and provide an almost uninterrupted charge directly to the spark plugs. In the drawings there has been illustrated a four cylinder distributor but as stated previously the number of cylinders can be varied as desired.

The rotor is solid and is capable of being an effective conductor to the driving shaft. The carbon brush 21 may ride on the driving shaft or sleeve portion 15 as a further means of providing a satisfactory ground from the rotor and also for providing a ground base for the condensers to bridge the gap across the circuits.

It is to be noted that only certain portions of the wires or conductors have been numbered herein as for example in connection with spark plug 1, coil 1", and terminal 1, but it is to be understood that similar conductors or wires are provided for the other coacting spark plugs, coils, and terminals.

While the primary circuit of any one coil is broken, it permits the primary circuits of the other coils to be closed (saturated), thus effecting a duration of saturation many times longer than the systems now in use which employ contact points. Heretofore internal combustion engines have used one coil for a plurality of spark plugs, but with the present invention there is one coil for each spark plug, and previously when using only one coil for such a plurality of plugs or terminals, such a coil did not have time to build up the circuit in the primary since the points do not stay closed long enough. For high speeds, by using one coil for each cylinder and spark plug, this permits the otherthree coil primaries more complete saturation. In addition in the present invention distributor points are eliminated since the rotor is used to make and break the primary circuit of the ignition system. Thus, for each cylinder there is a separate coil and a separate condenser and each time the rotor 14 with the cutout portion 18 reaches the terminal such 'as the terminal 1, it will break the primary circuit as shown in FIGURE 1 and this causes the sparks to occur in the spark plugs such as the spark plug 1.

A bearing may be added or utilized on the top of the rotor so that it has support at both ends, if desired or re quired.

The contact of the brushes need not be through the top of the cap, but may be through the sides, as for example as shown in FIGURE 6 and in FIGURE 6 there is illustrated a modification wherein the numeral 10' indicates a distributor which has generally the same operation and construction as the previously described distributor 10 so that the distributor 10' includes a housing 11' having a cap 12 thereon, and the numeral 14 indicates the rotor which has the recess 18 therein for receiving the nonconducting material 19, and brushes such as the brushes 1, 2, 3, and 4' are adapted to be mounted in the side portions of the cap instead of being arranged in a vertical position as shown in FIGURE 1.

In FIGURE 6 the numeral 33 indicates the condenser and the numeral 14 indicates the rotor, and the numeral 18 indicates the gap in the rotor which is filled with the non-conducting material 19, and the brushes such as the brushes 1', 2, 3, and 4 are arranged in guides G, the numeral 1" indicating the coil and the number 1 indicates a spark plug.

In operation, the primary circuits of all of the coils are saturated. In the drawings in FIGURE 6 the brush 1 in contact with the material 19 in the gap 13, is in position where the primary circuit of the coil 1" is broken causing that particular coil to fire to the spark plugs such as the spark plug 1. It will be understood that although a four cylinder engine has been illustrated, that the present invention is equally applicable to three, six and eight cylinder engines as well.

From the time and area any one circuit is completed until it is interrupted is called cam or dwell angle and in systems in use today, the maximum with 1 coil and one set of contact points is approximately 30 to 40 dwell. It will be apparent in FIGURE 6 for example that the dwell angle approaches three hundred degrees and this permits thorough saturation of the primary circuit of each coil. Also, when the primary circuit of each coil is broken, it permits the secondary of each coil to emit a high voltage charge directly to the spark plug and this eliminates the resistance of the gap between the rotor and the distributor cap in .the present systems. In addition to this, it is simple, inexpensive, and requires no adjustment and is extremely rugged.

Minor changes in shape, size and rearrangement of details' coming within the field of invention claimed may be resorted to in actual practice, if desired.

What is claimed is:

An internal combustion engine distributor for multiplying the dwell angle and providing an almost uninterrupted charge directly to spark plugs, comprising a housing having a shaft therein, a cap in said housing, a rotor disc of conductive material mounted in said housing transversely to said shaft, and said rotor mounted integral with a sleeve portion dependingly affixed to and keyed to rotate with said shaft, 21 single recess formed in a peripheral part of said rotor disc having a non-conductive filling therein, a base formed in said housing, a brush mounted on said base for electrically engaging the sleeve portion of said rotor, a plurality of terminals mounted in said cap having brushes engaging said rotor, said filling located in the path of said terminal brushes, and said recess being of a size which is larger than the terminal brush cross sectional area and in which the filling contacts no more than one terminal brush at a time.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,004,115 10/ 1961 Rugeris 20026 3,012,111 12/1961 Bohn 200-64 3,078,357 2/1963 Frederick 200--28 BERNARD A. GILHEANY, Primary Examiner.

G. MAIER, Assistant Examiner. 

